St. Landry democrat., 1887-07-09

VI toHStYolOll anu compromise 'AAc W.
stitution was framed. 1t was not what
any of the delegates wanted, but was
presented as the best attainable under
the circumstances.
The Fourth of July, 1877, marks the
period when the conference took sue
cessful turn. The source of veal ness
in the political institutions of the coun-
try was the extravagant development OF
State sovereignty notions. Although the
Revolutionary War had gained for the
colonies a collective independence, the
assumption was made that they were as
independent of one another as OF
Great Britain I us idea was earn
esely combatted by Washington,
Madison, and generally by all
the statesmen whose careers had
been associated with the Federal govern
ment. ut is only in our united charac-
ter" said Washington, that we are
known as an empire, that our independ-
ence is acknowledged. "The States
Madison told the convention, never pos
sessed the essential rights of SOW
ereignty." The effort of the national
party was to secure the adoption of a
constitution establishing national gov
eminent possessing self-sustaining pow
ers, and their plan was presented by the
Virginia delegation, Governor Randolph
of that State being the spokesman. ltpro-
vided for two houses of Congress, repre-
sentatiOn in both of which was to be
apportioned according to the population,
or else the amount of taxes paid to the
government, and for chief executive to
be elected by Congress for term OF
seven years. The great conflict was over
the question of representation. Massa-
chusetts, Pennsylvania, Virginia., the
two Carolinas and Georgia favored the
Virginia plan. Connecticut, New Jersey,
Delaware and Maryland insisted that
each State should have the same repre-
sentation. New York was divided and
New Hampshire and Rhode Island were
not represented. At that time the domi-
nant party in New York was strongly
State sovereignty; Hamilton and Morris,
who were statesmen of national views,
were constantly antagonized by their
colleagues, Yates and Lansing The
matter was at last sent to committee OF
eleven, who, with much difficulty, finally
reached a compromise by giving each
State equal representation in the Senate,
and basing the representation in the
House upon population. This decision
was reached July 4, and reported to the
convention the next day.
The great rock of difficulty thus sur
mounted the remainder of the work was
not quite so hard. The method Of elect
ing the President was not the subject of
much contention. Only one State was in
favor of election by the people; all the
delegates voted at first in favor of an
election by Congress. The scheme of
selection by college of electors was the
result of subsequent deliberations, and
in one of his Federalist papers Ham
ilton remarks that this provision
of the constitution met with gem
eral approval. 1t is just that pro-
vision which has turned out complete
failure The election of the President
by the people was established by popu-
lar sentiment, and the action of the col
lege of electors was soon reduced to
mere formality When the constitution
was finally completed number of the
delegates refused to sign it, and its
adoption did not seem likely. Local
politicians were generally against
it; commercial interests, however,
felt the need of a strong govern
ment that could give protection to Amer
lean vessels and industries. Great trades
professions were gotten up in favor OF
the New Roof, as it was called, and the
industrial classes gave the national states
men the support that enabled them to
win the day. The constitution was no
achievement of speculative sagacity. 1t
was extorted from the State politicians by
the necessities of the times. Its vital
element was the independent authority
of the national government in raising its
revenues and enforcing its laws.
Gouverneur Morris, whose portrait &C
companies this article, was the man who
drafted the constitution. He was a
New York lawyer, and man OF the
practical type. He served on the COM
mittee to draft the constitution OF New
York in 1775. He served in the CONT
mental Congress, and was one OF the
New York delegates to the constitutional
convention, and during its debates he
made the prophetic remark: "This coun-
try must be united. If persuasion does
not unite it the sword will" He was
chosen to draft and arrange the provis-
| ions of the constitution as settled by the
| votes of the convention.
Alexander Hamilton's portrait appro-
| priatelv accompanies that Of his col
| league, Morris, for he it was, as Secre-
| tarv of the Treasury, who converted the
latter's paper scheme into an actual ma
chine of government. By his plan fol
the assumption of the State debts con-
tracted in the revolutionary struggle
and the funding of the entire debts into
bonds, he identified the interests OF
the investors all over the country
with the stability of the national
| government He made the ques
ton of the selection of the perma
nent site of the national capital the basis
! of deal with jefferson; the latter giving
his influence in favor of the funding as
sumption bill in consideration of Hamil
toms aid to the selection of the Potomac
river site for the capital. Thus it is
that Washington city came to be located
where it is. The national government
began with "log-rolling" transaction
The first seat of the new government
established by the constitution OF 17S'
was Federal Hall, in New York city,
picture of which accompanies this arti
Gle. The site is now occupied by thu
custom house, and the statue of Wash
ington shown in the illustration mark
the spot where the first President of tn
United States took the oath OF office, ad